The statement by the European Troika - France, Germany and the UK – regarding Iran and its resolve to negotiate the nuclear deal is "incorrect and ill-advised," the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has stated. Kanaani noted that in the situation, when European countries are struggling to deal with the high demand for energy resources, it was a "miscalculation" on Troika's part to release the statement.
The Foreign Ministry's spokesman pointed out that Iran is a major player in the global energy market and could satisfy a significant portion of the demand. However, for that to happen, the parties to the Vienna talks must negotiate a restoration of the Iran nuclear deal, as otherwise customers buying Iranian oil risk falling under the US sanctions.
"We advise the European partners involved in the Vienna talks to take the constructive path, make up for past mistakes, and try to open the way for an agreement in a constructive and evolving approach," the spokesman said.
Kanaani slammed the three countries for catering to the lobbying of Israel, which seeks to thwart the revival of the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The spokesman said that unlike the European states, Iran engaged in a constructive dialogue in the Vienna talks and urged the Troika to do the same.
The UK, France and Germany released a statement on September 10, in which they expressed doubt about Iran's resolve for restoring the JCPOA, citing the new Islamic Republic's unspecified proposals in the Vienna talks. The three countries said they see these proposals as incompatible with Iran's obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Tehran rejected the statement as "unconstructive" and endangering the future of the Vienna talks at a critical moment. Iran also suggested that the statement was a result of Israel's actions, which openly admitted to trying to thwart the deal.
Iran, the EU, Russia, China and the US have been engaged in talks to restore the JCPOA for over a year now, and recently shared that a draft version of an agreement which was shared between the parties, thus hinting at progress being made amid tough negotiations. However, the parties have yet to announce the final agreement and restore the accord.
The JCPOA effectively collapsed following the US unilateral withdrawal from the agreement in May 2018 and re-introduction of sanctions against Iran, which impeded its oil trade. A year after that, Tehran started to gradually backtrack on its JCPOA commitments since they no longer benefited the country in any way. The new US administration of President Joe Biden launched talks to rebuild the accord in 2021.